Sharpener for meat-chopping machines



Jan. 11, 1944. I F D BURNS 2,338,995

SHARPENER FOR MEAT-CHOPPING MACHINES Filed Feb. 17, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet yl Inventar Jan. 11, 1944A 1 F. D. BURNS 2,338,995

I SHARPENER FOR MEAT-CHOPPING MACHINES y Filed Feb. 17, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 da. Z.

Inventor l @@Mwm-- ,A num/6a.

Jan. 11, 1944.

F. D. BURNSv SHARPENER FOR MEAT-SHOPPING MACHINES l Filed Feb. 1'7, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inventor a/f/f 5a/vf@ muy MWW Jan. 1 1, 1944. F. D. BURNS -SHARPENER FOR MEAT-CHOPPING MACHINES 'Filed Feb. 17, 1942 4 sheets-sheet 4 Inventor if* aff/r @af/ns Patented Jan. 11, 1944 SHARPENER FOR MEAT-CHOPING MACHINES Frank D. Burns, Greensboro, N. C., assigner of one-half to George McSweeney, Richmond, Va.

Application February 17, 1942, Serial No. 431,311

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in attachments for meat-chopping machines and has for its primary object to provide a, Sharpener for the chopping blade adapted for easily and quickly mounting in position on the machine Without necessitating removal of the knives therefrom.

In the conventional form of meat-chopping machines, employed for chopping meat for sausages and other food products, a plurality of arcuate knives are mounted in spaced relation on a rotating shaft and it is important for the economical operation of the machine to keep the knives sharpened at all times and accordingly it is an object oi the present invention to provide a sharpening attachment for the machine embodying a rotating abrasive wheel adapted for movement into and out of engagement with the respective knives while the knives are rotated, thereby eliminating the trouble and delay in removing the knives from the machine, at intervals, for sharpening purposes.

A further object is to provide an attachment of this character of simple and practical construction, which is enicient and reliable in performance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the sharpening attachment shown in position on the chopping machine.

Figure 2 is a top plan view.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the sharpening attachment opposite to that shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the pivotal mounting for the motor.

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the bearing extension for the shaft of the abrasive wheel.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the carriage for movement of the Sharpener longitudinally on the frame.

Figure '7 is a front elevational view thereof.

Figure 8 is a front elevational view of the front transverse frame member, and

Figure 9 is a perspective view of one of the clamping plates for attaching the inner end of the track to the machine.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates the bowl of a conventional form of meat-chopping machine on the upper surface of which is secured the aprons 6 having the bearings l secured thereto for the shaft 8 on which the knives d are secured in spaced relation, the knives being of generally arcuate form as shown in Figure l of the drawings, for swinging downwardly into the bowl for chopping the meat positioned therein, in a manner well known in the art.

The sharpening attachment forming the subject matter o the present invention comprises a pair of tracks iti-d having outer ends resting upon the upper edge of the bowl i and projecting outwardly therefrom, said outer ends being connected by a substantially U-shaped transverse member i i having a lug t2 at its lower edge resting on a bracket |13 secured to the outer side of the bowl.

To the inner ends of the tracks I0 are secured plates lll having extensions i5 formed thereon and overlying the aprons t of the chopping machine, the extensions being secured in position to the aprons by a conventional form of clamping members it to provide for the quick attachment and detachment of the tracks on the machine.

A carriage ii is adapted to travel on the tracks lli, the carriage including spaced downwardly extending legs l at each corner of the carriage having a pin i9 extending therethrough for mounting a roller 2@ between the legs, the rollers being positioned upwardly in the slot 2l formed by the spaced legs to accommodate the track and the bottom edge of the legs are bridged by a plate 22 to prevent removal of the carriage from the tracks.

The upper surface of the carriage Il' is formed with a pair of transversely extending spaced parallel guides 23 of dovetail shape in cross-section adapted for slidable engagement by similar shaped guides 2d formed on the bottom of the lower section 25 of a motor mounting, the section 25 of the motor mounting having a threaded lug 2t extending downwardly from the central portion thereof for threadedly receiving a screw 21 journaled in one side of the carriage il, the outer end of the screw having a manipulating handle 23, the screw thus providing means for slidably actuating the motor mounting transversely with respect to the carriage. An upper section 29 of the motor mounting is hinged as at 3o to the rear edge of the lower section 25 and to which is secured the base 3l of the motor 32 by means of bolts 3S. Projecting rearwardly from the upper section 29 is a handle 313 by means of which the upper section 29 of the motor mounting and the motor may be tilted vertically and the carriage I'I and the entire assemblage mounted thereon moved on the tracks Hl toward and away from the knives d.

Gib screws 35 are threaded through the front guides 2:3 of the lower section 25 of the motor mounting to take up play between the guides 23 and 24.

Also carried on the outer end of the screw 2l is a graduated collar 35 cooperating with a pointer 31 formed on the carriage to indicate the extent of adjustment of the screw.

One end of the motor 32 is provided with a pulley 3S driving a belt 39 extending over a pulley 40 on one end of a shaft 4I which is journaled in a bearing l2 on a bracket 43 secured to the Vfront edge of the upper motor mounting 29. On the other end of the shaft 4l is secured a pair of abrasive disks il having beveled edges between which the knives 9 are adapted to enter.

The belt 39 is enclosed within a guard 45 and the abrasive disks ilil are likewise enclosed within a guard i6 secured to the bracket 43, except for the necessary opening 4l formed in the guard 4S to permit engagement of the abrasive wheels with the knives as shown to advantage in Figure 2 of the drawings.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the abrasive disks [l will be constantly rotated by the motor and moved into proper engagement with the knives as the latter are rotated so as to sharpen the entire arcuate edges of the knives. Likewise the abrasive disks may be moved into and out of engagement with respect to the knives by tilting the motor mounting through the manipulation of the handle 34.

Transverse adjustment of the motor mounting and the abrasive disks is provided through the manipulation of the screw 2l to move the sharpener into position with respect to the several knives.

Itis believed the details of construction, operation and advantages of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing without further detailed explanation.

Having thus described the invention what I claim is:

A sharpening attachment for the rotary knives of a chopping machine of a type in which the machine is provided with a bowl, said attachment comprising a track extending substantially radially to the axis of the knives, means for detachably securing the track on the upper edge of the bowl, a carriage mounted to travel on the track for movement toward and away from the knives, a motor mounting on the carriage, means for moving the motor mounting transversely of the track, a motor normally resting on the mounting and pivotally mounted at the rear edge of the mounting, screw means for adjusting the mounting transversely on the carriage, a rotary sharpening element operatively connected to the motor and disposed forwardly of the mounting for movement into and out of sharpening engagement with the knives incident to the movement of the carriage, and a handle projecting rearwardly from the mounting and adapted to raise the sharpening element out of sharpening engagement.

FRANK D. BURNS. 

